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Choosing Scotland's Future

The National Conversation was launched in August 2007 and ran until November 2009. It invited all shades of opinion to contribute to the constitutional debate so that, ultimately, the people of Scotland can make an informed decision on their future.

There were hundreds of meetings around the country where Ministers faced questions from the public. More than 5,000 comments were sent to blogs on this website.

It culminated in a public consultation on a draft Referendum Bill which set out proposals for a referendum on extending the powers of the Scottish Parliament.

The draft Bill included proposed ballot papers for a two question referendum.

The first question asked whether the Scottish Parliament should have more devolved responsibility. The consultation paper offers two alternatives for this question.

The second question asked whether the Scottish Parliament should also have its powers extended to enable independence to be achieved.